History of Pluto TV in Timeline

Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported streaming television service owned by Paramount Global. Founded in 2013, it offers digital linear channels, mimicking traditional broadcast programming. Operating in the Americas and Europe, Pluto TV generates revenue through video advertisements during commercial breaks, similar to conventional television.

2005: Viacom and CBS split

In 2005, Viacom and CBS Corporation split into two separate companies after the original Viacom first acquired CBS's assets.

2013: Pluto TV Founded

In 2013, Pluto TV was founded by Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin, and Nick Grouf in Los Angeles, California. The company also raised $13 million in series A funding from various investors during the second half of 2013 and early 2014.

March 31, 2014: Pluto TV Beta Website Launch

On March 31, 2014, Pluto TV launched its beta website. It was co-founded by Nick Grouf, Tom Ryan, and Ilya Pozin to provide curated channels of online content from platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion.

May 14, 2014: Release of "myPluto" DVR feature

On May 14, 2014, Pluto unveiled a digital video recorder feature on its website known as "myPluto"; users could "record" content by clicking a "save show" button that would archive content from the channel as it played.

July 1, 2015: Content deal with Hulu

On July 1, 2015, Pluto TV announced a deal with Hulu to distribute free ad-supported video content from Hulu's website. Hulu handled advertising for this content.

October 2015: Additional Channels

In October 2015, Pluto TV added 20 channels featuring content from various networks, bringing the total to around 120 curated channels.

May 15, 2016: Availability on PlayStation Store

On May 15, 2016, Pluto TV signed an agreement with Sony to make the Pluto TV app available on the PlayStation Store for download by users of the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

April 30, 2017: Chief Programming Officer Appointed

On April 30, 2017, Pluto Inc. added a chief programming officer role, appointing Robert Magdlen.

May 15, 2017: Video-on-demand Offering

On May 15, 2017, Pluto TV launched a traditional video-on-demand offering with films and TV series licensed from distributors like Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Viacom, and Sony Pictures.

May 2017: Average Monthly Users

As of May 2017, Pluto TV was averaging 6 million users per month.

October 2017: Investment from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation

In October 2017, Pluto TV announced that it received a $5-million investment from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation as part of an $8.3 million round of funding.

October 2017: Most-Watched Roku Channels

As of October 2017, Pluto TV was rated one of the most-watched Roku Channels on Roku.

March 15, 2018: Partnership with SpotX

On March 15, 2018, Pluto TV partnered with SpotX to provide advertising monetization services.

August 1, 2018: Vizio Launches WatchFree Powered by Pluto TV

On August 1, 2018, Vizio launched WatchFree, a new ad-supported streaming platform powered by Pluto TV, built into Vizio's line of Internet-connected smart TVs.

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October 1, 2018: Expansion into Europe

On October 1, 2018, Pluto TV expanded into Europe, launching on Sky's Now TV service in the United Kingdom with more than 12 curated channels.

October 2018: Tru Optik partnership

In October 2018, Pluto TV partnered with Tru Optik to help with advertising inventory.

December 4, 2018: Launch in Germany and Austria

On December 4, 2018, Pluto TV launched a regional service in Germany and Austria, also through a collaborative agreement with Sky.

January 22, 2019: Viacom Announces Acquisition of Pluto TV

On January 22, 2019, Viacom announced its intention to acquire Pluto TV for $340 million, planning to use it as a marketing tool and distribution outlet.

March 4, 2019: Viacom Completes Acquisition of Pluto TV

On March 4, 2019, Viacom completed its acquisition of Pluto TV.

March 18, 2019: Global Expansion Plans

On March 18, 2019, Viacom announced plans to launch Pluto TV worldwide, focusing on building scale through ad-supported streaming platforms.

May 1, 2019: Branded Channels Introduced

On May 1, 2019, Pluto TV introduced branded channels based on Viacom Media Networks-owned cable outlets and other Viacom properties.

June 13, 2019: Launch on Comcast's Xfinity X1

On June 13, 2019, Pluto TV was launched on Comcast's Xfinity X1 cable boxes.

July 1, 2019: Launch of Pluto TV Latino

On July 1, 2019, Pluto TV launched a Spanish-language programming tier, Pluto TV Latino, consisting of eleven Spanish and Portuguese-language channels.

August 13, 2019: Viacom and CBS Corporation Announce Recombination

On August 13, 2019, National Amusements announced that Viacom and CBS Corporation would recombine their assets into ViacomCBS.

September 2019: Availability on Mobile Platforms

In September 2019, Pluto TV became available on mobile platforms in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; first on iOS and Apple TV devices on September 6, and on Android devices on September 24.

November 13, 2019: Channels from CBS Added

On November 13, 2019, prior to the completion of the merger of CBS and Viacom, additional channels from CBS, including CBS News New York and Los Angeles services, and an Entertainment Tonight-branded entertainment news channel (ET Live), were added to the service.

November 2019: Monthly Active Users

By November 2019, Pluto TV was estimated to have 20 million monthly active users.

January 2020: New Logo Unveiled

In January 2020, Pluto TV unveiled a new logo at CES 2020.

February 3, 2020: Launch in Latin America Announced

On February 3, 2020, ViacomCBS announced that Pluto TV would launch in Latin America at the end of March, offering 17 channels in Spanish and Portuguese.

February 20, 2020: ViacomCBS Estimates Pluto TV Viewership

On February 20, 2020, ViacomCBS estimated Pluto TV generated a monthly average of 22 million viewers in Q4 2019. It also planned to incorporate Pluto content into a revamped CBS All Access.

March 2020: Deals with content partners

In March 2020, Pluto TV had deals with 170 content partners, providing approximately 425 channels and 100,000 unique hours of programming.

July 9, 2020: Pluto TV Launches App for Virgin Media Customers in the UK

On July 9, 2020, Pluto TV launched an app for Virgin Media customers in the United Kingdom.

October 2020: Pluto TV becomes part of ViacomCBS Streaming

In October 2020, Pluto TV became part of the newly created ViacomCBS Streaming, with Pluto TV CEO Tom Ryan leading the division.

November 17, 2020: Launch in Brazil

Pluto TV anticipated launching in Brazil in December 2020, but was instead launched on November 17, 2020.

December 2020: Expected Channel Count in Latin America

By the end of December 2020, Pluto TV was expected to have more than 80 channels available in Latin America.

March 2021: CBS All Access becomes Paramount+

Since March 2021, CBS All Access became Paramount+, making it a sister service to Pluto TV after the merger between Viacom and CBS Corporation.

July 17, 2021: Pluto TV Adds New Channels

On July 17, 2021, Pluto TV added new channels including News 12 New York, Pluto TV Home, and Professional Bull Riders' RidePass.

September 29, 2021: ViacomCBS Agrees to Pay FCC Fine for Closed Captioning Issues

On September 29, 2021, Pluto TV's parent ViacomCBS agreed to pay $3.5 million to the FCC to provide clear and accessible closed captioning due to violations regarding caption passthrough and support.

November 29, 2021: Pluto TV to Launch in Scandinavia

On November 29, 2021, ViacomCBS announced that Pluto TV would launch in Sweden, Norway and Denmark by 2022 as part of a joint venture with Nordic Entertainment Group, phasing out the company's existing AVOD service Viafree upon launch.

February 2022: ViacomCBS Streaming Renamed

In February 2022, ViacomCBS Streaming was renamed Paramount Streaming.

February 16, 2022: ViacomCBS Streaming Renamed to Paramount Streaming

On February 16, 2022, Pluto TV's parent company, ViacomCBS Streaming, was renamed to Paramount Streaming, in-line with the rebranding of parent company ViacomCBS to Paramount Global.

June 2022: Pluto TV Partners with Corus Entertainment for Canadian Relaunch

In June 2022, it was announced that Paramount would partner with Corus Entertainment to relaunch Pluto TV in Canada in late 2022.

July 13, 2022: Pluto TV Adds New Channel Categories

On July 13, 2022, Pluto TV added five new channel categories: Game Shows, Daytime TV, Home, Food, and Lifestyle & Culture, and two new channels: Let's Make a Deal and The Judge Judy Channel.

September 1, 2022: Pluto TV Launches New Channels

On September 1, 2022, Pluto TV launched two new channels, the movie channel 00s Replay, and The Ed Sullivan Show.

October 31, 2022: Pluto TV Adds Classic CBS Series to On-Demand Library

On October 31, 2022, Pluto TV announced that it would add 6,300 episodes of classic CBS-distributed series to its on-demand library by the end of 2022, including Cheers, Criminal Minds, Frasier, and Star Trek.

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December 1, 2022: Pluto TV Launches in Canada

On December 1, 2022, Pluto TV launched in Canada in partnership with Corus Entertainment, which is handling marketing and Canadian advertising sales.

December 15, 2022: Pluto TV Launches Ad Campaign Featuring Drew Barrymore

On December 15, 2022, Pluto TV launched a new advertising campaign featuring actress Drew Barrymore.

April 11, 2023: Pluto TV Launches CBS Sports Golazo Network

On April 11, 2023, Pluto TV launched the CBS Sports Golazo Network in the United States to take advantage of Paramount Global's worldwide soccer rights, including discussion shows and live games.

April 2023: Monthly active users

As of April 2023, Pluto TV has a total of 80 million monthly active users.

August 2023: Planned Pluto TV Launch in Australia

During the Canadian launch event on December 1, 2022, executive VP and international general manager Olivier Jollet told The Hollywood Reporter that they plan to launch Pluto TV channels in Australia by August 2023.

November 1, 2023: Pluto TV and My5 Merger Announced

On November 1, 2023, Paramount announced that Pluto TV would merge with My5 in the UK, with its full launch date set to be planned for the second half of 2024.

August 20, 2024: Paramount Calls Off Pluto TV and My5 Merger

On August 20, 2024, Paramount called off the merger of Pluto TV with My5 in the UK, opting to relaunch My5 and keep Pluto TV as a separate service.

October 2024: Pluto TV Announces Partnership with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution

In October 2024, Pluto TV announced a new partnership with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution.

December 2024: Pluto TV Channel Lineup

As of December 2024, Pluto TV carries approximately 425 channels, packaging content acquired through various content syndication deals, as well as programming from Paramount Global's internal libraries.

December 2024: Pluto TV is the Most Popular FAST Service in Canada

As of December 2024, according to Media Technology Monitor, Pluto TV was the most popular free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in Canada.